piano keys {p. Lahote}

chapter tra ta ta

"You're quite the academic. Fifteen years of age with the academia of a junior..." Mira listened to the principal drone on, wondering how her mother acquired the records of "previous schooling."

She jumped back into the present when she realized the man was staring at her in silence. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your schedule today. We're looking at someone with a similar schedule as you to show you around."

"Oh that won't be necessary." The young girl tried to interrupt. But he brushed her off, and continued on the computer. "Alice Cullen. Hmm."

He seemed to ponder. He stayed in his own thoughts for a moment before asking me to stay in office. When he returned, he stood with a smiling, hesitant, pixie-ish girl. She was tiny with a tiny haircut to match, the only thing big about her was her eyes - and what soon to be known as her personality.

"You must be Indira! It's so great to meet you, I just had a feeling that today would be an enticing day."

The headmaster, Mr. Green, must have already equipped the short girl up to speed. "Have a great day, and welcome to Forks!"

Without another word, I was dragged by the gloved hand of Alice out of the office. "So, Indira, how are you liking Forks so far?"

Following her slowly, I went into sulk mode again. "Honestly I prefer Mira," the short girl nodded in understanding. "And it's not the best. I kind of would prefer to be home as of now."

Alice turned to her, almost as if she was hurt and personally offended. "Do you not like Forks because of the weather? I'd think it similar to England? You're from England, right?"

I nodded. "Richmond. It's a town in London. I grew up between there and Stockwell, however. That's where my grandparents lived."

"So the best of both worlds?"

"You've been to London?" She nodded quickly.

"Why'd you move here?" I hesitated.

"My parents weren't getting along the best, and because of that, my mother wanted a fresh start. The regular separation story." She side-eyed me, almost as if she didn't believe me.

"Well, I just moved here from Alaska a couple of years ago, so we're similar in that sense.. This is our first class of the day, trigonometry with Mr. Varner."

I stopped before we walked in, deciding to make up a lie on the spot. "I truly don't understand much, I should warn you. I think the grading system in England might be a bit less obtuse than that here, no offense, but I've never heard of a trigonometry a day in my life."

She smiled, almost as if in knowing. "That's okay, I'll be your tutor and your personal best friend. That way we can tell each other all of our secrets, and still make the grade."

--//

The day dragged on, with Alice pretty much doing majority of the work for her, and reminding her to get her yellow slip signed by each teacher. The valley from "Mr." to "Professor" drew in a couple of laughs, but the obvious attraction to the new girl was shielded by her decision to stick around a Cullen throughout the day.

At lunch, Mira was "introduced" to the girl's family. They seemed, tense, to say the least. It was almost as if they knew something about her that she wasn't yet in tune with. But the other students took notice of how they weren't afraid to speak with her.

"What's her deal?" muttered a seemingly obvious, Jessica.

"... and she just came from Richmond in England." Alice finished. The skinny boy with dark brown hair interrupted before they could sit.

"Alice, maybe you should sit with Indira at a different table." It was a fact, not a suggestion. The brown girl looked at the man with an obvious attitude. But the pixel dragged her away before she could make a scene.

"Sorry, that's my brother, Edward. He's not in the best mood today." She explained once they sat in the far corner of the cafeteria, amongst themselves. "Do you have any brothers? You know how they are."

She thought of her brother, having a blast somewhere in Scotland.

"I have a brother. He's off at boarding school, however. I wish I was with him, but our parents split so Freddie's with my father, and I'm with our mum." She started to pick at the food her mother packed for her. "Do you want this? I don't have the best appetite."

The small girl smirked, "Neither do I. But you should eat, we have a long day ahead of us, and I don't know if my mother will have food prepared in time."

Mira raised her eyebrow. Alice continued before she could ask, not taking no or any hesitation for an answer. "We have to tutor you, remember? And I think my family would like to know the girl I'll be getting on with for the next life."

The new girl was now completely confused. And slightly scared. Meeting a ton of new people this soon without having spoken to her mother may be hard.

"What do you mean?" Alice calmed when she realized her overexcitededness was terrifying the poor girl.

"I just mean, I see you as a lifetime friend, I just have a sense. Now calm your little heart down, and let's practice."

She didn't need to notice her "siblings" exempt from the big one, was staring at her in. Staring or glaring?

"Practice what?" Mira started to eat her tuna sandwich.

"You meeting my family. Since Edward kicked us out. I'm adopted. We're all adopted. All of them," Mira turned to look back at the table of pale faces.

"Interestingly enough, you all kind of look similar."

"You know what they say? When you're around someone for so long, you start to develop the same characteristics. Well, that and the fact that Jasper and Rosalie are twins."

"Are those the blondes?" Mira finished her triangle slice of a sandwich to a nodding Alice.

"Their aunt and her husband adopted all of us. Now we're one big family. And I treat my friends as family, so you will be too."

Indira was conflicted with the girls such adamancy on their friendship and becoming family. Maybe it was a defense mechanism, especially within being adopted? Maybe?
But she was all again shocked at once.

"Wait did you say your last name was Cullen?"

Alice, still empty plated, said nothing at first. "I didn't say, but yes it is."

"No, I meant the headmaster said so earlier. Is Dr. Cullen your father, somehow?" She didn't see how he could not be. Interesting names and similar eyes in such a small town must be family.

Alice nodded at once, not sure what the younger girl was getting at, but almost breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's my doctor."

"Oh yeah, he does that! But you should probably call your mom, and tell her that you're hanging with some friends after school. That way she won't think you're slumping around. It'll make things a lot easier for her."